28 replies to this topic

[racingreen]

Would anyone on the forum have information regarding the above subject?

Graham Capel quotes in his book "Lotus History" that ; "Actor Steve Mcqueen was starring in a motor racing film for Warner Brothers (1966). It was called 'Day of the Champion', and Warner Brothers had bought no less than 7 single seater racing cars and 8 Sports Racing cars for the production which must have made various people very happy. The film was to feature races at Nurburgring, Rheims and Oulton Park. Real racing drivers involved were Stirling Moss, Jimmy Clark, John Surtees, Jackie Stewart, and others. The Motor Racing consultant for the production was none other than Nick Syrett who had taken 15 weeks leave from his post as General Secretary of the BRSCC".

I have read that filming took place, but Mcqueen fell out with the director John Sturges and the movie later "became" Le Mans.


[IMG]http://www.toyadz.co...vemcqueen1.html[/IMG]

[malcolm6]

In the book McQueen - The biography - Christopher SandfordDecember 1966 begins plans to make Day of the Champion eventually released in june 1971 as Le Mans

[Gary C]

that film is the reason that people like Jim Clark were not featured more heavily in 'Grand Prix', they had contracted to appear in 'Day Of The Champion' for Warners, whereas 'Grand Prix' was produced by another company, can't bluddy remember who at the moment though.

[racingreen]

Thanks. Interesting.

Grand Prix was MGM (MetroGoldwynMeyer).

But did filming actually occur on "Day of the Champion"?

[Gary C]

I don't think so.

[racingreen]

.... I have pictures of Stirling being filmed driving the Normand Cooper F2s at Silverstone in 1966, rigged with big, professional cameras....!

[bpratt]

Here's a full page ad about the movie in the July 1966 issue of Hot Rod. Given lead times for magazines I'm not sure if this means they had shot, were planning to shoot or what. If they did, raw footage is out there somewhere.

[racingreen]

......the pictures I have from Ferret would suggest they had started filming.......so, exactly, there should be raw footage about......

[Alan Cox]

You will find numerous references to the film "Day of the Champion", racingreen; try the "Search BB" button on the top right of this page.

Here is an ad which has been posted on an earlier thread, regarding the dispersal of cars aquired for the film.

Edited by Alan Cox, 15 May 2013 - 11:04.

[john winfield]

From the June 1966 Motor Sport report (by GP) on the TT at Oulton Park, which took place on April 29th :

'The grid was supplemented by a strange car, vaguely resembling a Lola 70, waiting about 30 yards behind the back row with a bearded gentleman at the wheel. The mysterious objects which adorned the front and rear of this car were ciné cameras, and the driver Sir John Whitmore. Warner Brothers were using the race as an opportunity for location shots for their film, Day of the Champion, and when the flag dropped off went the camera car in pursuit of the field, actually passing a back marker before pulling off at the end of the first lap. The film features a character called Mike Pierce, played by American Steve McQueen but understudied in the race by Hugh Dibley whose Lola 70 carried Pierce's name, not his own.
Whilst ground filming was going on, hovering overhead was a helicopter flown, so it seems, by the same pilot who does the job for television at the Monaco Grand Prix. The 'chopper' repeatedly dropped to below tree-top height and literally chased the field around the circuit, filming as it went and causing more excitement among the crowd than the race itself.'

and later

'Dibley retired his Lola (much to the disgust of Warner Bros., we imagine) with oil everywhere.....'

Edited by john winfield, 30 April 2013 - 08:23.

[arttidesco]

An interesting take on the behind the scenes machinations between Grand Prix and Day of the Champion here, seems that McQueen and James Garner were neighbours competing to finish their films about racing first.

[Jean L]

The camera car at Oulton Park: http://www.coteriepr...p...10322&cc=GB

[john winfield]

The camera car at Oulton Park: http://www.coteriepr...p...10322&cc=GB

Interesting shot, Jean, thanks.

Here's another from the Nurburgring, copyright unknown:
http://farm7.staticf...8c72af8a7_o.jpg

The perils of 1960s onboard cameras.....

[Gary C]

The Oulton pic is Sir John Whitmore in the cockpit

[Stephen W]

Autosport advert 1st July 1966

[Macca]

"A French Kiss With Death" has lots on DOTC, including how the crew were on ferries and flights to Germany when Jack Warner of Warner Bros. called the producer and cancelled it, because shooting in the Far East on McQueen's "The Sand Pebbles" had over-run.

See also:
http://www.24heuresd...content.php/350

where there is an actual script from DOTC for sale, for a mere $500.........surely somebody here can afford it???

and here.

Paul M

[john winfield]

The Oulton pic is Sir John Whitmore in the cockpit

Yes, Gary, that's what the Motor Sport report says. JW drove the camera car behind the pack (it's him in the Nurburgring shot too, I think) and Hugh Dibley raced, his Lola carrying the name ' Mike Pierce'.

[delboy59]

Hi - for another view of the camera car at Oulton Park go to page 122 of my book, 'Sun, Rain...and Even Snow'...

Not sure how to post the pic on here...

D

[Tomecek]

"Steve McQueen: The Lost Movie" was aired on Sky, which is about the "Day of The Champion" intended movie. I wonder whether there is a possibility to watch The Lost Movie without having access to Sky?

[nmansellfan]

I think for the forseeable future at least, you'll only be able to see it outside of a Sky channel if someone uploads it to Youtube or similar, Tomecek (and you get to watch it before it gets pulled from YT etc. due to copywright).  I noticed that it was a Sky UK programme, as in it was actually funded by Sky themselves.  They don't normally let anything go outside of their own channels when the programme is new without someone paying!

 

Interestingly I note that the documentary was actually produced by Associated Rediffusion, which although is a name as old as 'Day of The Champion' itself, is a company name now owned by Victor Lewis Smith, an elusive TV critic (his name appeared in the credits too).  I hadn't heard about him in years so it surprised me when his name came up.

Edited by nmansellfan, 06 January 2021 - 12:53.

[BRG]

Interestingly I note that the documentary was actually produced by Associated Rediffusion, which although is a name as old as 'Day of The Champion' itself, is a company name now owned by Victor Lewis Smith, an elusive TV critic (his name appeared in the credits too).  I hadn't heard about him in years so it surprised me when his name came up.

Yes, that surprised me too.  I had subconsciously presumed he had shuffled off this mortal coil.  Does he have a column in any of the papers these days?

[Vitesse2]

Yes, that surprised me too.  I had subconsciously presumed he had shuffled off this mortal coil.  Does he have a column in any of the papers these days?

He compiles 'Funny Old World' for Private Eye, but seems to have moved from TV criticism to TV production. Although of course he might also be the Eye's TV critic Remote Controller (according to his Wiki page, quoting the 50th anniversary book 'in 2011, he was living in Cumbria and never visited the magazine's London office').

[Glengavel]

It might turn up on the Freeview channel Sky Arts if we're lucky.

[rl1856]

Background article and promise of a feature in the Feb 2020 issue of MS

 

Steve McQueen: The Lost Movie review — 'Sensational footage of F1 from 1965' - Motor Sport Magazine

 

The linked article contains a reference to Sir Stirling Moss recording laps around the Nurburgring just after the 1965 German GP, driving Walker's Brabham BRM.   I wonder what his lap times were ?

 

I would like to know when the documentary will be available for viewing in the US.

[Jack-the-Lad]

Background article and promise of a feature in the Feb 2020issue of MS
 
Steve McQueen: The Lost Movie review — 'Sensational footage of F1 from 1965' - Motor Sport Magazine
 
The linked article contains a reference to Sir Stirling Moss recording laps around the Nurburgring just after the 1965 German GP, driving Walker's Brabham BRM.   I wonder what his lap times were ?
 
I would like to know when the documentary will be available for viewing in the US.

I too hope it’ll be available in the US.

The MS issue is February, 2021, just for the record.

[SKL]

Fascinating story...  I too hope it shows up on this side of the pond... may start searching Netflix and Prime.

[Keith Rolleston]

I watched this programme on Sky and it was an interesting insight. There was some good colour footage from the '65 German GP. Not much of the film was completed and the TV programme showed what footage they had taken. McQueen was contracted to another company who were filming in the far east and that film overran for various reasons, so by the time he was able to return to Europe to complete DOTC, MGM & Frankenheimer had a lead so McQueen's project was axed. He still wanted to make a "proper" motor racing film though, and Le Mans was the result.

 

Prominent in the shots was a red 1962 BRM which I thought was a stooge, but further research shows was the Scuderia Centro Sud entry for Masten Gregory. He finished 8th in a car 4 years old. A red BRM - who would have thought!

 

Christabel Carlisle is also featured as she was second to Steve McQueen's third in a mini race at Brands Hatch. Their mutual friend Sir John Whitmore won and the archive footage is excellent.

[Sterzo]

Prominent in the shots was a red 1962 BRM which I thought was a stooge, but further research shows was the Scuderia Centro Sud entry for Masten Gregory. He finished 8th in a car 4 years old. A red BRM - who would have thought!

As raced previously by Lorenzo Bandini. I think it was a works-owned car hired out to Scuderia Centro Sud.

[Roger Clark]

As raced previously by Lorenzo Bandini. I think it was a works-owned car hired out to Scuderia Centro Sud.

I think they were different cars.  Bandini's 1963 car was 5781, nicknamed Old Faithful, driven by Graham Hill for most of 1962, including his wins at Zandvoort, Nurburgring and Monza.  Gregory drove 5785 "the Lightweight" driven by Hill to win the 1962 South African Grand Prix and for much of 1963.   Historic cars both but uncompetitive by 1965.

 

Centro Sud had both these cars and 5783; I don't know which was used in Day of the Champion.